Federal Roads Cannot Be Ceded To States – Femi Gbajabiamila

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has come out to declare that ceding of federal roads to states is legally impossible.

He recently revealed that it cannot happen under the nation’s current constitutional arrangement.

According to him, the federal roads in every state of the federation are still the exclusive assets of the Federal Government and the Privatisation Act would have to be amended for the transfer of such roads to states to be feasible.

He added that other models can be worked out, like fixing the federal roads and later getting reimbursed by the Federal Government.

His words, “It is legally impossible for the Federal Government to transfer roads to any state.”

“Ogun is an industrial state so to speak, and if you have several companies that are developing the state, and Nigeria situated in places where they are not passable, it makes that environment very difficult for them to work.

“So, those observations were received; it is for us to look at whether it is even possible legally for the Federal Government to transfer federal roads to any state. That, I’m not sure how feasible it is.

“But there is more than one way to skin a cat. So even where that is not feasible, it might even require the amendment of the Privatisation Act. It’s the Federal Government assets.

“But if that is not feasible, there are other models that we can look at in terms of other people fixing the roads and then the Federal Government owing them or setting off whatever debts owed by the state.

“So either way, something definitely needs to be done about those roads.”

“With this Sallah break, I just thought to stop by and see him, encourage him because of all the things I have heard and some of the things that I have seen in terms of his giant strides in the last one year.

“And we had a fruitful deliberation on ways the Federal Government and Ogun State can collaborate towards the advancement of the State.”